Most all defensive arts rely heavily on the ability to use your lower body for kicks, throws, feints, balance. It's an integral part of using your upper body also....twisting at the hips to gain power for a punch, DODGING, shifting balance from one leg to another. Without a properly functioning lower body that you can rely on, there is only a very limited amount of things you can do. Kudos for exercising your 2A rights, IMO that is the great equalizer. Your best bet may be to go to a self-defense instructor and explain the situation and see if they can more or less build you a reliable, or at least a better-than-nothing, group of defensive techniques based on your current level of ability. Most martial arts would normally not fit this category, as they are super heavy in kicks and throws, give the guys at Krav Maga Seattle a call and see what they can do for you. Krav Maga is super for ending a conflict quickly and decisively and relies more so on what methods you have at your disposal at the time.

P.S. Think about replacing your knuckles with a kubotan key ring instead....knuckles will get you charged with possession (or use) of a dangerous weapon......kubotan can incapacitate just as well, sometimes better because you can affect soft tissue body areas as well.

P.P.S. You may want to check the legality of carrying a balisong or butterfly knife before you do it. I think that collection is legal in all states, but possession is only legal in a handful of states. There should be a Dangerous Weapons Statute in your state laws that should address that. I know here in Texas, balisong knives are still considered stilletos if double edged and therefore illegal to carry, but a single-edged switchblade is legal. Check your local laws.

Okay look, you stated that you couldn't do any physical activities, martial arts included, due to your knee. If that's the case, then you won't be able to learn how to use a knife. It's the same concept as striking, you need to use your entire body - as far as that goes, it's the same as self defense without a weapon.

What you should do is apply for a license for mace or pepper spray before you go. If that's not an option do this, I just did and and found some good stuff - go to Google and search "alternatives to mace" or something similar and see what you can find. You could also get one of those pocketed alarms. There's all sorts of protection devices out there. Good luck and stay safe.

Knives are not the best weapon for self defense. Often the person loses their knife and end up being injured or killed by their own weapon.

Chance of something happening to you in China are slim, but t does not hurt to learn self defense. Most good schools will help you work around your injury. If surgery will help you should go for it. Yes it takes time to heal.

No matter what you begin to do it probably will not be enough to help you much if you are leaving soon. But the good thing about training in martial arts is that when you go to China you can continue to learn and train there.

Also, if you use those brass knuckles in self defense you will like be charges with assault with a deadly weapon. Most places will not consider it self defense. You keys will be better. A stun gun, ballpoint pen, sharpie, etc are all great for self defense if you learn how to use them.

If you were not able to do regular self defense classes due to your injury I don't know what makes you think you can do knife fighting. It takes the same mobility and agility of moving in and out as does striking. You don't just stand there with a knife waving your arms slashing.

If you need to carry something carry mace and learn how to use that or if that is not legal at least a pocket size can of hairspray. That probably got better propellant too than the maze does and your won't have the downwind problem so much and it blowing back at you when you use it. At least that way they can't say it was a weapon or that you carried it with the intend to harm.

One thing I would do is get a knee brace to support your knee I have experienced a dislocated knee cap before in sports and now I play with a knee brace their thin and easy to cover up of your worried about that but consider a butterfly knife they are have been proven recently to be effective than a stiletto with a faster draw time and defend well and you only need a little training

I'm a 21 year old female with a knee injury. I'm unable to run although I'm in decent physical condition.

Unless my having limited arm strength pulls me down from 'decent physical condition' to 'bad'.

Because of my bad knee, I can't run at all without severely injuring myself. So my fight or flight instinct has been downgraded to simply 'fight'. Because of this and previous experience being attacked in Seattle, I've become interested in learning all possible self-defense practices that I can use to protect myself if it comes down to it.

While I would take a fighting class, my knee is too weak and I can't handle the postures or moves without injuring myself.

As of right now, I own a gun and am a very good shot. That's currently my self-defense mechanism along with brass knuckles.

However, I'm going to be studying abroad in Tokyo for a year. I obviously can't take my gun but I did find out that knives are legal there so I was considering learning how to fight with a knife.

I'm essentially fishing for any possible suggestions or advice anybody can offer me on ways to defend myself when my well-being is at stake.

As for my knee, if anybody desires to know, it's a sports injury that occurred when I was 8. It never healed properly and because of this my kneecap will randomly dislocate even when I'm just walking or going downstairs. I can't stand for too long or sit for too long without it swelling up and becoming incredibly painful and difficult to bend. I'm looking into surgery to have it fixed but it'll still be years before it's somewhat normal again. And I don't think it would ever hurt me to know self-defense of any/all kinds.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.